Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

M_Bolc said:
I just grabbed a picture from the Internet. My rental does have BT, but a plastic wheel.
Rick: the car is not brown inside, it's beige.

On the Journey: what do you mean an "honest car?". It is mediocre, bland styling inside and out, the one I had got horrible mileage (22 mpg using cruise control), atrocious ride and handling (weren't crossdressers supposed to have a good ride?), and lacking in features. A touch screen radio but no BT, and why is the seat only half powered? They put a motor the push or pull the seat but not the recliner.

I just checked pricing, that thing isn't cheap either.
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They advertised the Journey as the cheapest 7 seat MPV/CUV here for the longest time. It no longer is, with the (admittedly better) Nissan Rogue S with appearance pack (this includes the 3rd row) coming in at 24,525. However, unlike the hot selling Rogue, no one buys a Journey for MSRP...unless they're terrible at negotiating.

You likely got a base Journey, those come with a 4 speed autobox (in 2015!) that explains the poor MPG. Being on a offshoot of the ancient Mitsubishi GS platform explains the poor ride and handling.

Again, they're selling you almost purely on price with the Journey these days. For being the cheapest way to schlep around your family of 7 with a new car warranty, it's something and the current marketing doesn't make it pretend to be a luxurious experience.
 
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Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

^basically how the Patriot is marketed. Which seems embarrassing when it's a company car for an employer that markets their product as the best while being the most expensive product on the market.
 
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My rental car is a Ford Fiesta sedan. Note to Hertz I would have preferred a Toyota Yaris hatchback you gave me which did have a touch screen and a bluetooth that works. Ford Sync is very product specific as it wont pair with my samsung S6 nor will accept it via USB. It's a rather fun lil car but feels heavier than the Accent. One thing that is nice is the lighting that changes slightly around the cup holders and the passenger dash.
 
Momentum57 said:
My rental car is a Ford Fiesta sedan. Note to Hertz I would have preferred a Toyota Yaris hatchback you gave me which did have a touch screen and a bluetooth that works. Ford Sync is very product specific as it wont pair with my samsung S6 nor will accept it via USB. It's a rather fun lil car but feels heavier than the Accent. One thing that is nice is the lighting that changes slightly around the cup holders and the passenger dash.
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What does "won't pair" mean? I have no problems with Sync pairing with my Note 5, Work S6, Z3, or Wife's S4 and now Note 5.
 
I've got a fiesta hatch for the week because the dealer has managed to now take two days for a coolant flush. I don't mind. I now have the fastest work car in the fleet. :D
 
rickhamilton620 said:
They advertised the Journey as the cheapest 7 seat MPV/CUV here for the longest time. It no longer is, with the (admittedly better) Nissan Rogue S with appearance pack (this includes the 3rd row) coming in at 24,525. However, unlike the hot selling Rogue, no one buys a Journey for MSRP...unless they're terrible at negotiating.

You likely got a base Journey, those come with a 4 speed autobox (in 2015!) that explains the poor MPG. Being on a offshoot of the ancient Mitsubishi GS platform explains the poor ride and handling.

Again, they're selling you almost purely on price with the Journey these days. For being the cheapest way to schlep around your family of 7 with a new car warranty, it's something and the current marketing doesn't make it pretend to be a luxurious experience.
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i don't think it was base. It was all wheel drive and the CVT.

Which brings me on to this: why are CVTs shifting nowadays? I bet that slaps the efficiency right out of them. I actually like the slipping clutch sensation in the Corolla because I know it's doing it for efficiency. The Journey was furiously stupid.

The Corolla is really loud inside, the tire roar is especially pretty bad. I also don't like the placement of the brake pedal, it is offset to the left from my body's centerline.
 
Momentum57 said:
My rental car is a Ford Fiesta sedan. Note to Hertz I would have preferred a Toyota Yaris hatchback you gave me which did have a touch screen and a bluetooth that works. Ford Sync is very product specific as it wont pair with my samsung S6 nor will accept it via USB. It's a rather fun lil car but feels heavier than the Accent. One thing that is nice is the lighting that changes slightly around the cup holders and the passenger dash.
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JakeRadden said:
What does "won't pair" mean? I have no problems with Sync pairing with my Note 5, Work S6, Z3, or Wife's S4 and now Note 5.
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Maybe it's missing a software update?

When I first got my Focus, the Sync system would not connect to my HTC One (M7) via USB and the BlueTooth controls, while they worked fine for making calls, were next to useless for music streaming. The BlueTooth issues were fixed by one of the more recent Sync updates. It might have also fixed the USB connectivity, though I haven't actually tried it since I've been streaming my music through a USB drive instead.
 
im sure there are ways to get this handled but its a rental car to run me around while i ship mine from upstate new york should be here saturday. Im a Hertz Gold member pull in grab my car however I have had the pleasure of finding my space empty. I walk over to the office the apologize and gave me an infiniti g for the trouble no price difference. OY VEY the buttons the lights the bings and alarms. What I want in a rental car is basicly a golf cart
 
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^couldnt agree more.
 
M_Bolc said:
i don't think it was base. It was all wheel drive and the CVT.

Which brings me on to this: why are CVTs shifting nowadays? I bet that slaps the efficiency right out of them. I actually like the slipping clutch sensation in the Corolla because I know it's doing it for efficiency. The Journey was furiously stupid.

The Corolla is really loud inside, the tire roar is especially pretty bad. I also don't like the placement of the brake pedal, it is offset to the left from my body's centerline.
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If your Journey was shifting, you had either the 4 or 6 speed auto. There's no CVT on the Journey.

Ironically the Corolla's CVT does simulate gear shifts somewhat:

The CVT, which Toyota calls Constantly Variable Transmission ? intelligent Shift, or CVTi-S, runs up the RPMs to whatever is appropriate for your desired rate of acceleration. Let?s say 3,000 RPMs. At that point the car ?shifts? and the RPMs drop back down, and resume their climb up. If you have room to continue accelerating this will happen up to 7 times according to Toyota, mimicking an 8 speed transmission. In actual practice around town, you usually only feel two or three such ?shifts? before your speed levels off. At that point you forget the transmission and it does nothing unusual.
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Toyota and Honda do this because customers of competing brands feel uncomfortable with the CVT "slipping" sensation. Even with the simulated shifts, they still get economy gains that a CVT provides, particularly when just cruising.
 
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public said:
I'm working on a ZX article and happened to google for Volcane pics. One of them had the plates for this exact car showing, and I ran the plate info. As of Oct 12, 2015 it's belonged to the city of Tampere, specifically to the department that handles towing abandoned cars, and so on. It sounds like it's going to be scrapped.

I have to call them tomorrow and see what's what. The thread mentions head gasket issues, and it's likely the Volcane's had a rough couple years after passing hands. Wonder if it's been vandalised.
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It has been vandalised, I got a call back today. All the glass has been broken, the hood has been crumpled, it sounds like there's nothing left. The car still exists but there's nothing to work with for anyone, anymore. Damn you maniacs!
 
I was on the motorway doing some miles an hour and there was a Prius doing 90. Which seems odd.
 
They can hit 90?
 
It's either a V8 Prius or the Panda speedo is massively over-optimistic. I've seen Prius drivers tailgate before though.

I also suspect that by 'there was a Prius doing 90' he means he was overtaken by a Prius but doesn't want to admit it. :p
 
I wasn't in Panpan and I allegedly overtook him. Do you think I'd let a Prius overtake?
 
:tvhorror:
 
I know right? Why do even have road legality inspections, statistics have showed there's little point... :p
 
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